INDIANAPOLIS | Gov. Mitch Daniels on Friday asked President Bush to provide federal public assistance to local governments in 14 Indiana counties -- including Lake and Porter -- for damage sustained by last month's flooding.

If approved, state and local governments and certain nonprofit organizations in the affected counties would be eligible to apply for federal assistance to pay 75 percent of the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster and repairing or replacing damaged public facilities such as roads, buildings and utilities.

Daniels said further damage may be identified, adding that he reserves the right to request assistance for additional counties.

Munster officials are grateful that Daniels requested the aid.

The town's latest tally put flood cleanup expenses at $2.2 million, Town Council President Helen Brown said.

"That was the initial compilation," she said. "We have not closed the books."

That initial figure includes the cost of debris removal and emergency response as well as estimates of damage to public property, she said.

Brown said the town appreciates any financial help it can get, especially because it hasn't collected its tax revenue yet this year.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said the city poured an enormous amount of hours in the flood relief effort, some of which was spent helping Munster.

City officials anticipated that Daniels would request the public aid, he said.

"We knew the day would come," he said. "We expected that."

Hammond's sanitary district and water, parks and police departments have submitted flood-related expenses, which total about $923,000. That figure could jump by another quarter of a million dollars once other departments total their costs, said Marty Wielgos, the mayor's chief of staff.

The city incurred unexpected costs, including overtime, sandbags, contracted services and new pumps and generators, said Robert Lendi, who works with the city's finances.

Other counties included in the governor's request for municipal aid are Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Fayette, Harrison, Jefferson, Jennings, Ripley, Scott, Switzerland, Washington and Wayne.